Love and life lessons - fiction with a heart, the fiction of Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Recreating The Past

Imagination isn’t always enough for
a writer to recreate the past.Writing
historical fiction requires research and detail.Before I begin writing a new historical
romance novel, I must first delve into the period.It is essential to be aware of the history of
that time, the events that shaped life in the era but there must be more.For me to paint a word picture of life lived
in the past, I must know what people wore, what they ate and how they prepared
it, how they spoke, and what they did for everything from work to leisure and
worship.Many resources are available to
writers when they want to learn everything they need to know but sometimes,
hands on research and personal experience offer the best option.

Reading about what wagon travel
might have been like offers some insights. Watching a movie set in the past
might offer more details but climbing aboard a wagon provides the in depth
experience necessary to describe it.On
Saturday, at the annual Prairie Day observance at the George Washington Carver
National Monument near Diamond, Missouri, my family enjoyed a wagon ride pulled
by a pair of mules.The event is a
long-time favorite for our family and we always make a point to attend. We also
take advantage of the wagon rides through the prairie, complete with a
storyteller on board.As a mode of
transportation, a wagon is far bumpier than a motor vehicle on a paved road,
even rougher when traveling over Missouri prairie.Some of my ancestors were pioneers who came
westward in search of better opportunities and their progress must have been
slow.That it was difficult too was
something I’ve always understood.As we
made our way through the short route, the mules were reluctant as well as
stubborn.The team balked and came to a
halt many times during the journey.The
driver became frustrated and in fact, I think the mules were finished for the
day after our ride since they proved everything I’d ever heard about stubborn
as a mule.I believe Saturday was the
first time our wagon at the event was pulled by mules, rather than draft
horses.

Since wagons aren’t readily
available, about the only other time I have the opportunity for a wagon ride is
during the annual Neosho Fall Festival each October.I enjoy those as well but the ride over paved
city streets is smoother.That provides
another historical comparison, town riding as opposed to rural.

Prairie Days also focuses on many
old-time skills seldom seen today, everything from spinning and candle making to
laundry and music.My mother-in-law
happened to be one of the musicians making old fashioned melodies come to
life.We had no idea she would be at the
event but some friends invited her, seeking her help and music making talents
so we had a nice surprise during the day.Prairie Days as well as the annual History Alley held during the fall
festival on the grounds of the Newton County Historical museum both offer the
curious and the creative an opportunity to experience a little of the past
hands on as well as up close and personal.

On my own, to make sure I could
describe things of the past, I’ve worn garments of another age, build outdoor
fires and cooked over them, baked traditional recipes from antique cookbooks,
shot black powder rifles, and more. To
describe log cabins, which were much smaller than many people can imagine, I’ve
visited them.One is located at the
historical museum in Neosho and there are many at Har-Ber Village in Grove,
Oklahoma.Other favorite historic sites
around the region include the reconstructed Fort Gibson in Oklahoma, Fort Scott
in Kansas, and several Civil War battlefields.The architecture of another age can be experienced in Eureka Springs,
Arkansas’ historic downtown district.I’m fond of museums and events that offer a look into the past.Civil War reenactments, powwows, and
festivals all often provide me that chance.

My contemporary works require
research as well but the historical writing I do and have done take dedication
to a new level.Along the way, though, I
always learn something new and have fun so it’s all part of a writer’s view of
life, then and now.